Fear of an attack and no phone signal deters female trail runners, research shows

Many studies have shown the health benefits of running, both for physical and psychological well-being. The researchers hope that by identifying the characteristics that appeal to runners, they can help policymakers create environments that promote active and healthy lifestyles. Trail running has the added benefit of being in the middle of nature, which is known to provide health benefits.

The study, published recently in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Healthasked 548 regular trail runners a series of questions to determine their preferences and concerns about pursuing the sport.

The biggest concern for all trail runners (both women and men) was slipping or falling (55.1%). However, men’s and women’s concerns differed when asked about encountering other people or wild animals, and losing phone reception on hiking trails.

Female respondents reported much greater fear of other people (38.9%) and cougars (32.4%) than men (12.6% and 21.2%, respectively). Additionally, 50.8% of women were concerned about losing reception, compared to 33.8% of men.

“I think women are just more concerned about their safety than men, and for good reasons,” said Nadine Schuurman, professor at SFU’s department of geography and lead researcher on the paper. “We all see news stories about threats to women.”

Schuurman also points to social factors that disproportionately prevent women from going out.

“Something I’d really like to look at in a future study is how women are also limited by household chores and childcare because trail running is time-consuming,” says Schuurman. “You tend to go slower, so it takes longer to cover a distance than on the road, and you may have to drive to the trailhead, so it just requires a bigger commitment. I think this discouraging factors for women, especially.”

In addition to their concerns, the researchers also asked the runners about their terrain preferences and other factors. Most respondents preferred undulating routes (57.2%), over steep (22.6%) or fairly flat (16.3%) routes. They also preferred “brushed” trails (56.0%) over rocky terrain (40.3%).

The research paper is the latest in a series of studies examining various factors in ‘walkability’ – a term the researchers coined to help quantify features of the built environment that facilitate or hinder running as a form of leisure or sporting activity . Previous articles have examined runaway preferences and the neighborhood characteristics that encourage running in Metro Vancouver.

The researchers plan to continue studying ‘walkability’, including a future study of popular running routes using data from activity tracking app Strava, and investigating the environmental factors the most popular routes have in common .

“We’re really digging into what specific environmental factors are associated with both urban and rural running, or trail running,” says Schuurman. “Walkability is different from walkability or bikeability, and we’re actually looking at what makes a good running route and how to encourage runners.”